Headphoneus Supremus

Wow I kind of forgot what it's like to just let go and listen to music for a while. Lying in bed, just with my modded portapros and Android phone, listening to Ben Prunty's work in FTL... man...

On that note, I wonder what's hot in the on ear headphones section. I mean, the portapros is still very serviceable, but it still left me wondering what's there for an upgrade and a closed back one. For one thing I have a Alessandro MS1i and a AT ES88 I got from Lachlan. The former is a bit larger and cumbersome to lie down with on the bed, and the latter is a bit finicky with fit and uncomfortable. IEMs seem to work worse and worse for me lately. Fit is getting finicky even for great fitting IEMs. Maybe I should start losing them body fat.

I'm starting to waver on my want of the note 4. Mostly I want the S6 because it's drop-dead gorgeous, but it's small and I want big. But I also kind of want what's offered by Sony and its Xperia Z3. Waterproof*, front facing speakers, great battery life. Camera quality seems conflicting. And the screen is not AMOLED. Also there's a lot of greater and greater bang for your buck phones from other less big names from China. My gear lust seems to go towards smartphones now.

Headphoneus Supremus

Joined:
Aug 25, 2004

Posts:
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Let's just say I appreciate Noble's creations, but I've grown out of the wizard thing a few decades ago.

On a lighter note, we've had an Armenian festival here last week and I've seen an an enjoyable jazz band called "Time Report" in concert. The ethno jazz they played reminded me at times of Zawinul's Weather Report, but with a more eastern / exotic touch. They even brought a duduk player along, an intriguing instrument that you can hear in many film soundtracks, but that I've never heard in a live concert before.

There are a few clips of them on YouTube, but ime their CDs are impossible to come by in the Western world, so I've put the one I got at the concert up for grabs.

镇老鹰

I have a few things I would like to say about a couple of IEM makers but I'm with Idsy, why &$@# up MuppetFaces thread or get myself in hot water. I learned my lesson with iBasso a year ago.

Thanks for the link James. The next time I'm on my laptop I'll be sure to grab those tunes and give it a good close listen. By the way, any new surfer tunes that's struck you're fancy lately? The last time you tutored us on surfer music I was rather entertained.

The science of properly driving headphones has always confused me. For starters where the hell is the steering wheel?????!!!!!!!!!

You are in control of your personal spending. A cycle, if there is one, is wholly self-perpetuated.

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This is both true and disingenuous. We are in control of our actions, but we don't live in a vacuum either. It's natural to want to get involved in something that others seem enthusiastic about, or to become curious about something and want to know more about it.

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Yes, but our own purchasing decisions are, at the end of the day, not a responsibility that we share with manufacturers or fellow enthusiasts.

Headphone Guy

Yes, but our own purchasing decisions are, at the end of the day, not a responsibility that we share with manufacturers or fellow enthusiasts.

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Right, which is why cigarette commercials are banned.

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That's a pretty bad analogy there. First of all, audio gear does not cause death or disease, unless one horribly misuses it. Secondly, audio gear is not physiologically addictive, no matter how we joke around about that. And third, I don't think it's fair to liken the population of Head-Fi to impressionable young children (which is why tobacco advertisements are prohibited)... though I might agree with you that immaturity may be fitting in certain isolated cases here, but on the whole I think not. That said, I still believe that we make our own purchasing decisions, and are wholly responsible for those decisions. Present your next argument sir, let's see if you can change my mind.

That's a pretty bad analogy there. First of all, audio gear does not cause death or disease, unless one horribly misuses it. Secondly, audio gear is not physiologically addictive, no matter how we joke around about that. And third, I don't think it's fair to liken the population of Head-Fi to impressionable young children (which is why tobacco advertisements are prohibited)... though I might agree with you that immaturity may be fitting in certain isolated cases here, but on the whole I think not. That said, I still believe that we make our own purchasing decisions, and are wholly responsible for those decisions. Present your next argument sir, let's see if you can change my mind.

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All addictions are regulated by dopamine. That neurotransmitter is responsible for the rush we feel from a cigarette, winning in Vegas, or getting your hands on a fresh piece of gear.

Theres a continuous cycle with consumerism, one that directly feeds the behavior/reward pathways of the brain and causes associations. Acquiring a new piece of gear here earns you virtual pats on the back, and a feeling of belonging. You are congratulated, and asked for your opinion on this gear. Your thoughts are partly responsible for leading a person to believe this new piece of gear will make him happier as a whole. This fleeting sense of elation is fed by complex, yet simple neurrochemical pathways in the brain.

It is this same pathway that plays a part in training a child. You reward good behavior, lighting up the nucleus accumbens of the brain. In these circles, consumerism is regarded as good behavior, and rewarded with things I mentioned earlier.

My point about the cigarette commercials Has nothing to do with health issues. The reasons children are susceptible to them also apply to adults. You see a gentleman of seemingly great statute and importance sitting at the bar, surrounded by women. In his hand is a cigarette, and the ad is centered around making that cigarette appear to be the reason behind his awesomeness. Case in point, the Dos Equis ad campaign.

Around here, there's the continuous chase after the El Dorado headphone or amp that will tick all boxes. Each cycle brings the hype that makes many flock to open their wallets. The temporary Rush gives way to curiosity about the next product release on head-fi TV.

I'm not saying this is unique to audio, but I think it's certainly the worst. In other hobbies, you can at least see the results of what you're buying, but audio is completely dependent on the brain's interpretation of things. And the brain can also be manipulated by mood or environment. The brain can be made to hallucinate things based on expectations, but these things are then written on the internet, and buying choices are made from such.

But meh. I'm tired of typing. I could go on, but I'd just start rambling.